Taliban Higher Education Minister Visits Iran to Discuss Academic Cooperation

Sheikh Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s Minister of Higher Education, has arrived in Tehran at the head of a high-level delegation to explore ways of expanding academic cooperation with Iran.

Hafiz Ziaullah Hashimi, spokesperson for the ministry, confirmed that the visit comes at the official invitation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Hashimi, the minister is scheduled to meet with Iranian academic and educational officials and tour several of the country’s academic institutions, including universities.

Experts have raised concerns over the visit, noting that while thousands of students and professors in Afghanistan remain barred from education due to the Taliban’s strict policies, efforts to foster international academic relations are perceived more as a political move than a genuine step toward improving higher education.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan’s education system—particularly for girls and women—has faced severe restrictions, with the regime’s legitimacy widely questioned in international academic and educational circles.